Device for guns on combat vehicles



Aug. 20, 1963 s. E. BERGE DEVICE FOR GUNS 0N COMBAT VEHICLES Filed July 6, 1961 INVENTOR SI/EN ER/K BE/EGE A rwems Ys United States Patent midi-$28 DEVKQE FQR GUNS 9N CGMBAT VEHICLES Sven Erik Barge, toelshohn, Sweden, assignor to Airtieholaget Before, Rotors, Sweden, a Swedish company Filed duly 6, 1961, Ser. No. 122,295

2 Claims. (Ci. 89--14) It is known that the aiming of a weapon mounted on a track-laying vehicle can be carried out by aiming the entire body of the vehicle, traversing then being eifected by changing the longitudinal positions of the tracks relative to the body and elevation by changing the positions of the supportingrollers vertically in relation to the same body. 7

With such a combat vehicle with its usually low height it is considered to be a disadvantage that the gun, which usually has such a length that its muzzle is located in front of the front edge of the body, can be subjected to damages in conjunction with the muzzle section striking against the ground. Hitting objects in the terrain, such as trees or stones when driving across country, when surmountiug obstacles or at sudden changes of direction can also occur. The disadvantage is stfll greater with this type of combat vehicle due to the lack of protective slipping devices of the kind used in the aiming devices for guns supported in a turret which is movable in relation to the body of the vehicle. However, also in the case of combat evhicles with rotatable turrets the disadvantage in conjunction with the impact of the gun against obstacles in the terrain is of significance.

Another general disadvantage of combat vehicles is that the rate of fire of the gun is often limited due to the fact that the gases emitted from the gun muzzle raise dust etc. from the ground, which makes target observation diiiicult and delays the firing of a new well-aimed round against the target. In certain cases the rate of tire can even be limited by the time required before the recoil movement of the vehicle has stopped. A great recoil movement can moreover result in a low rate of fire due to the fact that it makes fire observation from the vehicle difficult. The recoil movement can, of course, be reduced through the use of a muzzle brake of a known kind, but also this can make observation of the fire difficult, due to the fact that the powder gases are conducted rearwards from the gun muzzle towards the observation devices used by the crew of the vehicle, with a great remaining energy.

The present invention refers to a device for guns on combat vehicles such as tanks and self-propelled guns, preferably of the type where the aiming of the gun is achieved by aiming the entire body of the vehicle. The main purpose of the invention is to create a protection for the gun muzzle and other parts of the gun which are outside the body of the vehicle in order to eliminate the first-mentioned disadvantage. The invention is characterized in general in that a beam having such a length and width that the gun is protected by the beam from impact against the ground or objects in the terrain is fixed to the body of the vehicle, parallel with the gun.

A further purpose of an especially appropriate design of the invention is conducting the powder gases emitted from the gun muzzle when firing and reducing the recoil movements of the vehicle so that the latter of the above-' mentioned disadvantages is eliminated. The invention is then characterized in general in that the girder has a curved shield at the front end which, seen from the direction of fire of the gun, is bent forwards-upwards and which, with the exception of an aperture for the projectiles, screens off the muzzle section of the gun seen from in front.

The invention will be described more in detail with the ice aid of the attached drawing, in which FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a combat vehicle to which the invention has been applied, FIGURE 2 a longitudinal section through the front part of the gun and connected parts of the combat vehicle shown in FIGURE 1, and FIGURE 3 shows a plane view of the parts in FIGURE 2.

The combat vehicle shown in FIGURE 1 is provided with a gain 1, a body 2 and with a beam 3 and a shield 4, which are shown more in detail in FIGURES 2 and 3. The shield 4 is attached by means of a screw connection 5 to the beam 3, which has a box section, and which, in turn, is fixed to the body 2, appropriately by being welded into place. The screw connection 5 is required, among other things, in order to provide for the removal of the shield 4'. in conjunction with the mounting and dismounting of the gun 1. The shield 4 has a through hole 6 for the projectiles, and is bent forwards-upwards. From FIGURE 3 it will be noted that the beam 3 has a width which exceeds the diameter of the front part of the gun.

The property of comprising a protection for the muzzle section of the gun against damages during cross-country driving etc. is provided for by the shield 4 having such a width and height and by the beam 3 having such a width that impacts directed towards the muzzle section from in front, underneath or from the side are received by the shield or the beam.

On firing, the curved shield 4 causes the powder gases emitted from the gun muzzle to be deflected in an upwards direction, to a great extent, as indicated by the arrows 7 in FIGURE 2, and only a small portion of the powder gases go forwards and downwards. The intensity of the flow of powder gases along the ground in front of the muzzle is thereby reduced, 'and the amount of dust raised from the ground is reduced to a corresponding degree.

At the same time as the shield 4 forces part of the powder gases into a different direction of flow, the shield is subjected to a reaction force, directed forwards-downwards, as indicated by the arrow 8 in FIGURES l and 2. This force is transmitted through the beam 3 direct to the vehicle body 2, and produces a torque on this, which is directed opposite the torque to which the vehicle body is subjected as aresult of the recoil force of the gun, the diretcion of which is shown by the arrow 9 in FIGURE 1. By fastening the gun firmly or by using a recoil brake with a comparatively short recoil length, the two torques, which have opposite directions, can be made to conform in time so that the recoil movement of the body is reduced.

If required, the beam 3 can be designed, without involving any major increase in weight, in such a Way that it forms an armour protection for the part of the gun which is outside the vehicle body. For this purpose, the beam can, for instance, be made in the form of a tube which encircles the gun.

'In the cases When a long recoil length is required for the gun, for reasons of functioning, it can be appropriate to use some form of muzzle brake on the gun, together with a device according to the invention.

The invention can, of course, be subject to modifications within the scope of the following patent claims.

I claim:

1. A self-propelled weapon carrier comprising a gun mounted on the carrier and having a gun barrel protruding from and beyond the body of the carrier, and a rigid frame structure secured to the carrier body extending parallel to the protruding portion of the gun barrel spaced apart therefrom, said frame structure having its terminal portion curved upwardly in front of the muzzle of the barrel, said upwardly turned portion including a circular aperture aligned with the center axis of the bore of the barrel and having a diameter greater tha the caliber of 2. A .weapon carrier according to claim 1 wherein said turned up portion is a separate part and secured to the remainder of the frame structure by releasable fastening means. n

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Murbach Mar. 7, 1939 Hughes July 2, 1940 Brown Dec. 12, 1944 

1. A SELF-PROPELLED WEAPON CARRIER COMPRISING A GUN MOUNTED ON THE CARRIER AND HAVING A GUN BARREL PROTRUDING FROM AND BEYOND THE BODY OF THE CARRIER, AND A RIGID FRAME STRUCTURE SECURED TO THE CARRIER BODY EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE PROTRUDING PORTION OF THE GUN BARREL SPACED APART THEREFROM, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE HAVING ITS TERMINAL PORTION CURVED UPWARDLY IN FRONT OF THE MUZZLE OF THE BARREL, SAID UPWARDLY TURNED PORTION INCLUDING A CIRCULAR APERTURE ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER AXIS OF THE BORE OF THE BARREL AND HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE CALIBER OF THE GUN, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE PROTECTING THE GUN BARREL AGAINST DAMAGE BY COLLISION WITH EXTERNAL OBSTRUCTIONS AND SAID UPWARDLY TURNED PORTION OF THE FRAME STRUCTURE DEFLECTING THE GASES PROPELLED FROM THE BARREL UPON FIRING OF THE GUN SO AS TO NEUTRALIZE AT LEAST PARTLY THE RECOIL MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIER AND TO INCREASE VISIBILITY IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE GUN BARREL AFTER FIRING THEREOF. 